Review: IPEVO Point to View USB Camera (P2V)

We’ve reviewed a number of webcams in the past but this particular one from IPEVO offers up a different enough feature set that we had to put it through its paces. First off, instead of just sitting on top of your computer monitor (it can do that, too), the IPEVO features a unique lamp stand-like mechanism that can twist and turn in a variety of ways. If the stand isn’t for you, the camera itself is designed to be held like a pen, to give you amazing accuracy when focusing on your subjects. As for the picture quality, the IPEVO Point 2 View sports a 2-megapixel camera that includes autofocus for up to a 2-inch extreme closeup, and a dedicated “snapshot key” for taking stills with relative ease.

The main reason I wanted to give the IPEVO a shot was to see how it would perform when recording and taking pictures of objects like mobile phones, since that’s what I do a lot of when writing reviews.

For my test I plugged in the IPEVO Point 2 View and then launched QuickTime on Snow Leopard. QuickTime immediately recognized the IPEVO and allowed me to start recording the video.

To illustrate how the camera can handle both digital and analog subjects, I shot both a game playing on the iPhone and then a close-up of my digital camera.

To create the iPhone video I positioned the camera above the iPhone by manipulating the stand. I then set the AF (auto-focus) switch to Single and then pressed the Focus Key once, after positioning the IPEVO just where I wanted it. You can see that without any special lighting, and literally thirty-seconds of prep work, the IPEVO shot a decent video. I also liked how my finger could interrupt the frame and not affect the focus on the phone itself. I did notice that the contrast would change when I would move my finger into the frame, but that was probably due to not enough lighting.

In the video of the digital camera, I positioned the IPEVO at the same height of the camera using the stand and then rotated the digital camera around while keeping the IPEVO in a fixed position.

Since the IPEVO Point 2 View also offers its own software (I downloaded and installed the latest version on my Mac), I used it to snap a picture of the iPhone and also of myself, to show you the contrast. In the pictures below you can see how well the IPEVO Point 2 View handles a close-up as well as the traditional distance for conference calls.

The IPEVO Point 2 View has quickly moved to my must-have list of accessories since it not only works as a webcam but can also be positioned in just about any way you need in order to shoot either videos or close-up images.

The best part about the IPEVO Point 2 View, though, is the price: currently $69 at IPEVO.com. For that price you can’t go wrong.

You can also see a quick overview of the IPEVO Point 2 View in the video below.